How to Use Kinesio Tape?

A picture of an athlete that has had Kinesio Tape applied can give you an idea how it is used. A trained or certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner should be the one that applies the tape to assure proper use and optimal results.

When going to a trained or certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner, you will learn how to use Kinesio Tape on your body to meet your needs for rehabilitation, healing, injury prevention, performance enhancement, and more.

The basics of how Kinesio tape is used:

  1. Tape around muscles and over muscles so that Kinesio Tape can help and give support or prevent over-contraction.
  2. Stretch application to target area or tape to lift skin and create space under the skin and to create desired effect on muscular.
  3. Manipulating skin and muscle to affect change in the deep layers of the fascia (connective tissue).
  4. Encourage correct joint and muscle function.
  5. Targeting pain and its source to provide relief.
  6. Used in the following strips-“l”, “X”, “Y”, and modified shapes.
  7. Create pull by applying to base of tape with no tension.

Therapeutic use of Kinesio Tape helps relax muscles and gives relief to over used muscles. To use Kinesio Tape for muscle relaxation and relief when muscles are overused, the tape is applied from the end of the muscle to the origin (beginning) of the muscle.

Rehabilitation use of Kinesio Tape helps stimulate weak and underused muscles. To use Kinesio Tape for muscle stimulation, the tape is applied from the origin (beginning) of the muscle to the end of the muscle.

To use the tape properly it is important to understand muscle function and direction. Trained and certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner well educated regarding all aspect of Kinesio Tape use.

Using Kinesio Tape to take pressure off the sensory receptors can relieve edema, inflammation, and discomfort. The tape is used to treat muscles, organs, and nerves. Though recently becoming more widely used, Kinesio Tape has been used for over 35 years as a non-evasive and medication free alternative for athletes and others.

The following can be helped by proper use of Kinesio Tape:

Kinesio Tape can be used to promote healing and/or relief of the following when applied properly to adults or children:

The tape is easy to use. The adhesive is specially designed to adhere to skin. Waterproof Kinesio Tape is available and is suggested for use especially when taping the hands and the feet.

Online and in books there are images of various ways to use the tape. Often a different color of tape is used. The tape may overlap, but when using Kinesio Tape, it is not layered like traditional taping. This allows the skin to breath, movement to be unrestricted, and doesn’t cause edema. Since the tape can withstand athletic activity and showering within in an hour of application, it is very popular among athletes. In addition, the tape can be worn for 3-5 days without being changed. This saves time and money when Kinesio Tape is used.

Next Article: Kinesio Tape On Joints

Taping joints with Kinesio Tape is different than traditional taping of joints. With Kinesio Tape, there is no restriction of movement and Kinesio taping of joints doesn’t interfere with circulation.

Click For Details: Kinesio Tape On Joints